Echeveria plant named &#39;crimson tide&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echeveria  cultivar named ‘Crimson Tide’ is disclosed, characterized unique vividly colored leaf margins which are unusually undulating and thick. Leaf margins are also distinctively anfractuous. The new variety is an  Echeveria,  typically produced as a garden or container plant.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Echeveria hybrid

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Crimson Tide’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program. The newvariety originated from a cross pollination of the unpatented,proprietary seed parent, Echeveria hybrid referred to as ‘#26’ with thepollen parent an unpatented proprietary Echeveria hybrid referred to as‘Big Red.’ The crossing was made during October of 2005 in Vista,Calif., at a commercial greenhouse. ‘Crimson Tide’ was discovered by theinventor, Renee O'Connell, in February 2007, in Vista, Calif. at acommercial greenhouse.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Crimson Tide’ was firstperformed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse by vegetativeleaf cuttings in February 2007. ‘Crimson Tide’ has since producedseveral generations and has shown that the unique features of thiscultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Crimson Tide’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Crimson Tide.’ These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Crimson Tide’ as a new and distinctEcheveria cultivar:

-   1. Unique vividly colored leaf margins.-   2. Unusual undulating, thick leaf margins.-   3. Distinctive anfractuous leaf margins.

PARENTAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Crimson Tide’ are similar to the seed parent‘#26’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, ‘Crimson Tide’exhibits unusual brightly colored, anfractuous leaf margins not seen onthe seed parent. Additionally, ‘Crimson Tide’ grows faster, and shows anoverall better resistance to normal diseases and pests of Echeveria thanthe seed parent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Crimson Tide’ are similar to the pollenparent ‘Big Red’ in most horticultural characteristics. However,‘Crimson Tide’ exhibits more undulating, brighter colored leaf marginsthan the pollen parent. Additionally, ‘Crimson Tide’ has an overallshorter, more compact plant morphology than ‘Big Red.’

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

‘Crimson Tide’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial varietyEcheveria ‘Strawberry Hearts.’ Plants of Echeveria ‘Strawberry Hearts’are similar to plants of ‘Crimson Tide’ in most horticulturalcharacteristics. However, ‘Crimson Tide’ does not grow as tall as‘Strawberry Hearts’ and produces a more irregular rosette plant form.Additionally, plants of ‘Crimson Tide’ produce a more anfractuous leafmargin than ‘Strawberry Hearts.’

‘Crimson Tide’ can also be compared to the unpatented commercial varietyEcheveria ‘Arlie Wright.’ Plants of Echeveria ‘Arlie Wright’ are similarto plants of ‘Crimson Tide’ in most horticultural characteristics.However, ‘Crimson Tide’ is a shorter plant, which exhibits moreresistance to the disease powdery mildew than ‘Arlie Wright.’Additionally, the foliage of ‘Crimson Tide’ has a more intense margincolor, and a more undulating, anfractuous form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘Crimson Tide’ grown outdoors in Vista, Calif. Thisplant is approximately 9 months old, shown in a 6 inch pot. Thephotograph was taken using conventional techniques and although colorsmay appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it isas accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to the PantoneProcess Color System Guide, except where general terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used. The following observations andmeasurements describe ‘Crimson Tide’ plants in a commercial greenhousein Vista, Calif. Temperatures ranged from −1° C. to 29° C. night andday. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemicaltreatments were given to the plants. Natural light conditions wereapproximately 2500 to 4000 fc of light. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Echeveria hybrid ‘Crimson Tide.’-   Age of the plant described: Approximately 5 months.-   Propagation:-   Time to initiate roots: About 25 days at approximately 21° C.-   Root description: Fibrous.-   Propagation method: Vegetative divisions, leaf cuttings.-   Plant:-   Growth habit: Rosulate plant, sessile, rarely branching.-   Container size: 6 inch.-   Height: Approximately 15 cm to top of highest leaf.-   Plant spread: Approximately 19 cm.-   Growth rate: Slow-moderate-   Branching characteristics: Rarely.-   Foliage:-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—rosulate; sessile.        -   Average length.—Approximately 11 cm.        -   Widest width.—Approximately 8.75 cm.        -   Width at base.—Approximately 2 cm.        -   Shape of blade.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Rounded, crenulate.        -   Base.—Rounded.        -   Margin.—Crenulate, anfractuous.        -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous, pruniose.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous; pruinose.        -   Quantity of leaves per plant.—Approximately 20.        -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near S 137-5 Pantone Young            foliage under side: Near S 307-9 Pantone Young foliage            margin: Near S 107-8 to S 107-3 Pantone Mature foliage upper            side: Near S 137-6 Pantone. Margin near Near S 107-1            Pantone. Mature foliage under side: Near S 137-6 Pantone.            Margin near Near S 107-1 Pantone. Mature foliage, under            side; if pruinose covering is removed: Near S 291-8 Pantone            Mature foliage margin: Near S 107-1 Pantone.        -   Venation.—Type: Parallel. Venation color upper side:            Indistinguishable from overall foliage color. Venation color            under side: Indistinguishable from overall foliage color.-   Flower:-   Natural flowering season: Late winter, late autumn.-   Flowering: Plants were not flowering at the time the botanical    description was made, as all plants of the new variety had flowers    removed for propagation purposes.-   Other characteristics:-   Fruits and seeds: Not observed to date.-   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately −2    C to 32 C.-   Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to    normal diseases and pests of Echeveria has been observed.-   Drought tolerance: Tolerates at least 2 weeks of high temperatures    without supplemental water, showing no serious damage to plant.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echeveria plant named ‘Crimson Tide’as herein illustrated and described.